Kenya’s Planned Alcohol Control Plan Stirs Anger

In Kenya, the latest proposals to control the sale and consumption of alcohol, including raising the minimum drinking age from 18 to 21 is reportedly brewing crisis.

According to the sweeping proposed rules, unveiled on Wednesday, they include a ban on purchasing alcohol in supermarkets, restaurants, and on public transport. The online sale and home delivery of alcoholic drinks, as well as celebrity endorsements, will also be outlawed.

The authorities have defended the planned measures as necessary to address substance abuse especially among the youth.

But many Kenyans, including those in the alcohol industry, have criticized the proposals as misguided and potentially destructive to the economy.

On Tuesday, in a statement regarding Lagawa camp, the Sudan Doctors Network wrote: “The network calls on the international community and humanitarian organisations to act immediately to provide food and basic healthcare to the camp’s residents, especially children and pregnant women.”

El-Daein is the capital of East Darfur, a state entirely controlled by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which is battling the army.

Now in its third year, the civil war has crippled humanitarian networks, collapsed the economy and broken down social services. These factors, and more, have led to a food crisis.

In addition to famine conditions, aid groups have warned of a cholera outbreak in Darfur.

The United Nations said cases of the disease have been rising in the city of Tawila, where 1,500 serious infections, suspected and confirmed, have been reported since June.

The breakdown of water and sanitation services, combined with low vaccination coverage, has increased the risk of cholera outbreaks, the UN said.

Sudan was plunged into a civil war in April 2023 after a vicious struggle for power broke out between its army and the RSF.

The two rivals had been allies – coming to power together in a coup – but fell out over an internationally backed plan to move towards civilian rule.

It has led to one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, tens of thousands of civilians have been killed, more than 12 million have been forced to flee their homes and nearly a million are in famine.

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Dozens Of Children Die Owing to Shortages of Food in Sudan Camp – Medics

Medics at a displacement camp in war-torn Sudan’s East Darfur state have said thirteen children died last month due to severe shortage of food at

The Sudan Doctors Network, a professional organisation with members working inside Lagawa camp, reported “deteriorating humanitarian conditions” and widespread malnutrition – a hunger crisis caused by the 27-month civil war that has devastated the country.

Located in the city of el-Daein, the settlement is home to at least 7,000 people and has been subjected to repeated attacks by armed groups.

Famine was first identified last year in a camp in Sudan’s western region of Darfur and has since spread to other areas.

El-Daein is the capital of East Darfur, a state entirely controlled by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which is battling the army.

Now in its third year, the civil war has crippled humanitarian networks, collapsed the economy and broken down social services. These factors, and more, have led to a food crisis.

In addition to famine conditions, aid groups have warned of a cholera outbreak in Darfur.

The United Nations said cases of the disease have been rising in the city of Tawila, where 1,500 serious infections, suspected and confirmed, have been reported since June.

The breakdown of water and sanitation services, combined with low vaccination coverage, has increased the risk of cholera outbreaks, the UN said.

Sudan was plunged into a civil war in April 2023 after a vicious struggle for power broke out between its army and the RSF.

The two rivals had been allies – coming to power together in a coup – but fell out over an internationally backed plan to move towards civilian rule.

CREDIT – BBC

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Food Crisis: Protests Turn Deadly in Kenya’s Kakuma Refugee Camp as US Humanitarian Aid Stops

At least one person has reportedly died, and several others injured on Monday when violent protests erupted at the Kakuma refugee camp in northwestern Kenya, authorities and humanitarian officials said, following mounting tensions over sharp reductions in food aid.

Refugees set fire to part of a World Food Programme (WFP) storage facility in the Kalobeyei settlement, according to Kenya’s Department of Refugee Services (DRS).

Police responded with tear gas and live ammunition after demonstrators reportedly stormed aid distribution points.

“We can confirm that one person died during the incident, and investigations are ongoing,” a DRS official told AEA on condition of anonymity.

Kakuma, home to an estimated 300,000 refugees from South Sudan, Somalia, Uganda, and Burundi, has seen rising discontent since the World Food Programme halved rations earlier this year, citing a steep drop in international donor funding.

“The rations have become unbearable,” said John Muyumba, a youth leader in the camp.

“Many families go days without enough food.”

Two police officers reportedly got injured during the clashes. Kenyan police officials declined to comment on the number of casualties but confirmed that “an incident involving unrest” occurred at the facility.

The United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) and WFP have warned for months that budget shortfalls were threatening to destabilize humanitarian operations in Kenya’s major refugee settlements.

A WFP spokesperson described the situation as “deeply concerning” and said assessments were ongoing.

Kenya’s Interior Ministry has yet to release an official statement. Aid agencies are calling for calm and urging donor governments to urgently restore funding.

The incident is the latest in a series of disruptions across East Africa as refugee communities bear the brunt of global aid reallocation and conflict-driven displacement surges.

Credit – BBC

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Nigeria Adopts AI, Climate Intelligence to Monitor Food Production -Vice President Shettima

Nigeria’s Vice President Kashim Shettima on Monday said Nigeria is adopting Artificial Intelligence and other advanced technologies to revamp its food systems, marking a new phase in the country’s approach to food security at a time when climate shocks, conflicts, and market disruptions are intensifying global hunger.

He dislcosed this while speaking at the opening session of the United Nations Food Systems Summit Stocktake (UNFSS+4) in Addis Ababa, Shettima where he said AI, geospatial analytics, and satellite-driven climate intelligence are now central to Nigeria’s agricultural strategy.

”Artificial intelligence, geospatial analytics, and satellite-driven climate intelligence are now part of our agricultural vocabulary.”

We are deploying these tools to monitor production, enhance transparency, connect producers to markets, and reduce waste across the value chain.

”Our faith in the capacity of our people remains unshaken. In partnership with the African Development Bank and IFAD, we are investing in Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones. These hubs are not just places of production. They are engines of transformation.”

He said that they were creating jobs, attracting private capital, and linking rural producers to national and global markets.

The vice-president added, ” But production is not enough. We believe that a sustainable food system must also be a healthy one.”

The summit, building on the 2021 UN Food Systems Summit and the first stocktake in 2023, is focused on accelerating efforts to create resilient, inclusive, and sustainable food systems. For Nigeria, Shettima noted, food and nutrition security are now at the heart of the National Development Plan 2021–2025 and the Nigeria Agenda 2050.

He cited ongoing investments in Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones, developed in partnership with the African Development Bank and the International Fund for Agricultural Development. The zones, he said, aim to generate jobs, attract private capital, and integrate rural farmers into national and global supply chains.

But Shettima stressed that boosting production alone is insufficient. Nigeria has scaled up school feeding programs, nutrition-sensitive agriculture, and community-led nutrition education initiatives. Through the Nutrition 774 initiative, he explained, all of Nigeria’s 774 local governments are being placed at the center of nutrition delivery.

“This is more than a summit. This is a reckoning,” Shettima said. “The scars of conflict, the uncertainties of climate, the distortions of markets, and the missteps in policy are all calling us to renew our commitment to multilateralism. A broken food system in any part of the world diminishes the dignity of humanity as a whole.”

The Federal Executive Council has also approved the National Multi-Sectoral Plan of Action for Food and Nutrition, intended to operationalize Nigeria’s revised food and nutrition policy. In addition, new Nutrition Departments are being created across relevant ministries to strengthen governance and accountability.

The urgency of such reforms was echoed by other leaders at the summit. Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed called for predictable concessional financing for African agriculture, warning that hunger and climate change are “deeply linked.” UN Secretary-General António Guterres, in a recorded message, said food systems are about “more than food, they are about climate, justice, and the right to a better future.”

Despite global pledges, hunger has been rising. Guterres warned that economic slowdowns, conflicts, and declining development assistance have undermined progress since 2021. Yet, as Shettima emphasized, Nigeria intends to position itself as a leader in shaping resilient food systems that not only meet immediate needs but also secure long-term sustainability.

CREDIT – NAIRAMETRICS

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Food Security: National Agricultural Development Fund Launches N19.5billion AgGrow Support

Towards implementing the ₦19.5 billion AgGrow Farm Support Programme, the National Agricultural Development Fund (NADF) has officially launched a digital Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) platform.

According to information released on its website, this scheme is designed to support smallholder farmers across Nigeria by providing essential farming inputs and linking them directly to agricultural processors.

The scheme, which was established by the National Agricultural Development Fund (Establishment) Act 2022 (Act No. 34, 2022),was created by the Federal Government to address the persistent challenge of agricultural financing and to strengthen Nigeria’s food systems. The fund is now rolling out one of its most ambitious initiatives yet, AgGrow, a national farmer support program targeting 50,000 smallholder farmers across the country’s six geopolitical zones.

Further details show that under the AgGrow scheme, farmers in the maize, rice, cassava, and soybean value chains will receive:50% subsidy on seeds, fertilizers, and crop protection products (CPPs),financing of inputs, with repayments of only 50% required from processors after harvest

This means smallholder farmers can produce more without the heavy financial burden of input costs, while processors get direct access to quality produce, cutting out expensive middlemen.

“To ensure efficiency and transparency, NADF has introduced a digital Monitoring and Evaluation platform. This technology will track every seed and input from distribution to on-farm usage, every naira invested in the scheme, real-time results to help fine-tune support and improve agricultural outcomes.Participating farmers will also be:registered using a BVN or National Identity Number

“Geo-tagged and biometrically verified subject to weekly reporting, third-party audits, and strict monitoring to prevent misuse. This data-driven approach ensures accountability and strengthens the credibility of the program across stakeholders in the agricultural value chain.NADF has emphasized that inclusivity is central to the AgGrow program. Of the 50,000 farmers expected to benefit:”

“40% will be women, 20% will be youth. This focus on gender and youth participation supports broader national goals for inclusive growth, employment, and empowerment in rural communities.AgGrow is built around structured outgrower arrangements that directly connect farmers to agro-processors.

“By removing the need for middlemen, the program aims to: improve access to markets for farmers, reduce post-harvest losses, strengthen local raw material sourcing for Nigeria’s growing agro-processing sector, processors, who will repay part of the input costs post-harvest, also benefit by securing a steady supply of raw materials, further enhancing food security and industrial productivity.

Details from the website further revealed that farmers who want to benefit from the AgGrow support scheme must visit the official NADF website to learn more and begin the registration process:at www.nadf.gov.ng

The AgGrow program is a significant step toward transforming Nigeria’s agricultural landscape. For farmers, agripreneurs, agro-processors, and stakeholders across Africa watching Nigeria’s agricultural reforms, this initiative offers a powerful example of how targeted support and technology can drive inclusive and sustainable growth in the food sector.

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